Thoughts on recent Ninth Circuit and California appellate cases from Professor Shaun Martin at the University of San Diego School of Law.

Friday, April 11, 2014

U.S. v. Villalobos (9th Cir. - April 11, 2014)

Look at the mess that constitutes the disciplinary record of L.A. attorney Alfred Villalobos. Ugly.

Today's Ninth Circuit opinion doesn't make him look any better. Every member of the panel agrees that Villalobos was properly convicted of extortion and attempted obstruction of justice. They just disagree as to why he's guilty.

But guilty he is.

For a guy admitted to the Bar on the last day of 1997, Villalobos has certainly had a colorful legal career. Few of us can claim to have gotten into anything near as much trouble during our first 15 years of practice.